Artificial Light For Chickens: Does It Really Increase Egg Production?
It’s that time of year; your chickens laid all spring and summer and have now decided to take a break. You’ve probably resorted to buying eggs at the store, while still paying for chicken feed and going to all that trouble to care for your flock. Will artificial light for chickens really help your hens to lay?
Chickens naturally go through a molt in the fall and don’t normally lay during this time. They are putting all their energy into growing a new set of feathers. Molting lasts 1-3 months for each bird.
There is not much you can do about the break your chickens will take during molting. Although you can time it so you get some new pullets each spring that will start laying when the rest of your flock is molting.
But once they are finished molting, whether they will lay during the winter is primarily dependent on hours of daylight. And that’s where using a light for chickens comes into play!
How Much Light Do Chickens Need?
Chickens typically slow down or stop laying when the daylight falls below 14 hours a day. Chickens that live near the equator can lay almost year-round, but for most of us, they will take a break during the winter.
For those of us who live in the north, this break can last for half the year! That’s where artificial light for chickens comes in!
Some chicken keepers argue that chickens need that natural break from laying, but there really isn’t much information available scientifically speaking. It really comes down to your choice as a chicken keeper.
Keeping in mind that chickens closer to the equator can lay most of the year naturally, I personally don’t think it is harmful to chickens to artificially increase daylight to stimulate laying. They still do get a break each year during their molt.
One thing we do know is that chickens can only lay so many eggs during their lifetime. If production is your goal, and you cull your chickens as they get older, it makes sense to use artificial lighting to get maximum production from your flock. On the other hand, if you plan on keeping your hens for their entire life, you might want to stretch their egg-laying out over a longer timeframe by letting them take a winter break.
One more thing to keep in mind is that if you let your own chickens have a winter break, but buy eggs from the store during that time, that means someone’s chickens were still kept under artificial lighting.
My Experience with Artificial Light For Chickens
As I mentioned earlier, I have kept track of how many eggs I collected with and without artificial light for chickens.
Expect the numbers to vary for you depending on where you are located and what breeds you have.
I am located in Montana, in the northern United States. I mostly have heritage breeds and feed local soy-free feed.
Keeping a hybrid laying breed suited to your climate can really increase how many eggs you get. Feeding a soy-based feed designed for maximum production can also increase your hens’ production.
And finally, keeping your chickens warmer can help (our temperatures can get to -20 degrees and I usually don’t heat my coop unless we are expecting prolonged temperatures below zero).
How Many Eggs Do I Get With Lights?
With artificial lighting, I get 1-2 eggs per six birds, per day. This is after they go through their fall molt, during the months of December and January.
So from a flock of thirty hens, I get 6-12 eggs a day. This is compared to 24 eggs a day in the spring from the same flock.
My chickens are always a mix of ages, from new pullets to 3 or 4 years old.
How Many Eggs Do I Get Without Lights?
For a while, I wondered whether it was worth using a light for chickens. It didn’t seem like I was getting that many eggs in the winter anyway.
But then I tried keeping my flock without.
With no artificial lighting, my flock lays on average 1 egg per 30-35 birds, per day during the months of December and January. Yes, 1 single egg.
Although I do put up extra eggs in the spring. I still end up buying a lot of eggs in the winter. So I am feeding my large flock of freeloaders, while paying for someone else’s eggs from chickens that were kept under lights. Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
How to Set Up An Artificial Light For Chickens
To set up an artificial light for chickens, you’ll need a clear light and a timer. I use a regular heat lamp, but put a clear light in it. Red lights will NOT trick your hens into producing. It has to be a clear or white bulb.
Shatterproof bulbs are toxic to chickens and should not be used in a chicken coop.
To use a light for chickens, set the timer on your light to provide additional daylight in the morning or evening. Daylight should total 14-16 hours including what is provided by the sun. So if you are getting 12 hours a day of natural light, you should set up your lamp to provide an additional 2-4 hours a day.
Make any lighting changes gradually, no more than one hour at a time. As the day length begins to increase, you can taper off how long your light is on.
Conclusion
For me, it is definitely worth the small cost of running a light for chickens in the winter!
It’s also worth noting, that when it comes to heritage breeds, brown egg layers seem to lay much better in the wintertime. I have a mix of blue, brown, and white layers, but at this moment all the eggs in my basket on the counter are brown. Buff Orpingtons have been at the top of the list for me.
Have you found a breed that lays better in the wintertime with or without artificial light? Share in the comments!
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